2. Argument
◎Ludwig: I think it’s my dad’s fault◎
Bruce sat in the car. The closer they got to Wayne Manor, the more nervous he became.
He hadn’t seen his parents in a long time. There was a time when their family had been happy—filled with joy and warmth. But ever since that shooting incident, Thomas had refused to let Bruce return to Gotham.
Back then, Bruce couldn’t understand it. But now that he was a father himself, he understood his father’s feelings… though he couldn’t agree with them.
He thought, no matter what happens, he was willing to face it all with his children. Together, they would build a better city.
Inside the manor, with Martha’s help, Thomas had changed into a more formal suit. Martha herself wore a graceful dress and her signature pearl necklace. They had prepared gifts for the two children and stood expectantly, waiting for the manor gates to open.
The black car slowly drove into the garden of Wayne Manor. Alfred deliberately slowed down, giving the two young masters a chance to look around and letting Master Bruce have a moment to collect himself.
Once the car came to a full stop, Damian and Ludwig got out and instinctively stood on either side of their father. Each held onto the corner of Bruce’s coat, nervous in their own way.
No matter how mature they appeared, they were still just children. They had never met their grandparents before and couldn’t help but worry—what if their grandparents didn’t like them?
But as it turned out, they were overthinking. Martha and Thomas warmly welcomed their arrival. Martha even baked cookies just for them.
“Go ahead. You can usually only have these on Christmas,” Bruce gently nudged the boys, motioning for them to follow their grandmother.
Ludwig looked at his father first, then slowly followed Martha. Damian, on the other hand, wore a look of indifference, but still dutifully asked:
“Will you be okay by yourself? Do you need me to stay with you?”
Damian was a little uneasy. From the moment Bruce got out of the car, he’d been visibly stiff. Could he really follow through on the plan they’d made?
“I’ll be fine. After all, I’m their father.” Bruce was touched by Damian’s rare concern. That warmth loosened up the stiffness in his limbs caused by the anxiety of meeting his parents again.
Since Bruce had said that, Damian couldn’t insist further. He followed Ludwig into the kitchen with Grandma Martha.
Now, finally, the father and son were alone, face to face.
Thomas wasn’t doing much better than Bruce. He felt like something was choking him—his lips moved slightly, wanting to say something, but he couldn’t open his mouth.
People are strange, aren’t they? This was the child he had longed for day and night. Yet now that he stood right before him, whole and unharmed, Thomas found himself unable to express that longing.
His lips trembled. There were so many things he wanted to say to Bruce, but in the end, all of that concern was condensed into just one sentence:
“You’re back.”
Bruce gave a strained smile, like his facial muscles had suddenly spasmed.
“Yes, I’m back, Father.”
By all logic, the two of them should now sit down and have a heartfelt conversation. That had been the original plan for both Thomas and Bruce. But once they actually sat down, they found themselves with nothing to say.
Forgive Thomas. He had so many things he wanted to tell Bruce—but he was afraid Bruce wouldn’t want to hear them.
As for Bruce… he was waiting for Thomas to start the conversation.
He had already thought about how he would test the waters, how he would prove to his father that he was strong enough now—strong enough to hopefully win his father’s support in the upcoming election.
After all, he’d heard that Thomas already had a preferred candidate in mind. So he had to figure out what his father was thinking and also investigate this favored candidate.
If possible, they might even be able to work together.
But since Thomas remained silent, Bruce decided to take the initiative.
“Bruce…” “Father…”
Their voices overlapped, both surprised to hear the other speak at the same time. Then, awkwardly, they both said:
“You go first.” “No, you go first.”
“I’ll go first,” Thomas said, letting out a relieved laugh. Bruce scratched his head a little awkwardly—they hadn’t spoken face-to-face like this in a very long time.
Thomas told Bruce that both he and Martha had missed him very much. He also talked about what he’d seen and experienced in Gotham over the years. Currently, Wayne Enterprises was being managed by professional executives, and one of the Drake family’s children was interning at the company—a good kid, and Thomas believed Bruce would like him.
Of course, Thomas left out the underground base he’d built and the nighttime activities he’d been involved in. He didn’t want Bruce involved in those things—they were too dangerous. His Bruce should live in the sunlight, always.
Bruce also shared his experiences from the past few years with his father—he had climbed snowy mountains, crossed grasslands, watched sunrises over the sea, and strolled through safe city streets. He said Ludwig was very easy to take care of—quiet and well-behaved—and that Damian was a good kid too, just a little rebellious. He said he loved them both deeply, and that he also loved Thomas and Martha.
“This time, I came back mainly because I want to do something for the family,” Bruce finally started to get to the point. He carefully chose his words, trying to avoid any misunderstanding.
“That’s great. I remember there are a few charity projects in Metropolis. I could assign them to you, if you…” Thomas paused for a second, then continued along Bruce’s line of thought. After all, Wayne Enterprises ran a large number of charitable initiatives in Gotham every year, and having Bruce take charge of one or two wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“No, that’s not what I meant.” Bruce interrupted him, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He wasn’t good at these father-son talks—especially when he was the son.
“I thought you’d already heard… I’m going to run for mayor. I know you’ve already got someone in mind behind the scenes, but I can talk to them.”
“No—wait—what are you planning to do?” Thomas looked at Bruce in shock. He didn’t understand what had led his son to such a dangerous decision.
“Do you even know what you’re saying? Do you know how dangerous that position is? No mayor of Gotham has ever left office unscathed. Do you understand how deep and tangled Gotham’s underworld really is?”
Thomas couldn’t accept Bruce’s decision. He had become Batman in the first place so Bruce wouldn’t have to—so Bruce wouldn’t face this kind of danger. He and Martha couldn’t bear to lose Bruce.
No—being mayor was even more dangerous than being Batman. Batman operated from the shadows. But a mayor? Especially a powerful, reformist one? They were an open target.
“I know. I was fully prepared before I came. I’ve learned everything I needed to know. I’m ready to rebuild Gotham. If we don’t step forward, who else will save her? The corrupt officials? Or the Batman who only comes out at night?”
“You don’t understand anything!” Thomas burst out, furious. He stood up and pointed a trembling finger at Bruce.
“Gotham doesn’t need you to save it! All you’ll do is cause more chaos!”
Bruce got angry too. He stood up to face Thomas. “You’ve never believed in me. I’m not a child anymore. I can take responsibility for my choices!”
“Then what about Damian and Ludwig? Are you going to drag them into danger too?” Thomas pointed toward the kitchen. Bruce instinctively looked in that direction—and saw Damian covering Ludwig’s ears, just like Ludwig used to do whenever Bruce and Talia fought.
Thomas and Bruce both fell silent. After a brief moment of cooling down, Bruce was the first to speak. “I think we both got a little too worked up. Maybe we should take some time to calm down before talking again.”
After saying that, Bruce left with Damian and Ludwig, leaving Thomas slumped alone on the sofa.
Martha walked over and gently placed a hand on Thomas’s shoulder, silently offering him comfort.
“I’m sorry, Martha. I shouldn’t have lost my temper like that… It’s just… I can’t lose Bruce again.”
Thomas clutched Martha’s hand. The man who had always seemed so strong finally shed tears for the first time.
“I know, Thomas, I know.” Martha embraced him, comforting her husband. She understood the knot in his heart, but she didn’t know how to help him walk out of the nightmare he was trapped in.
Meanwhile, Bruce walked out of the house with the two children. He stood at the door, looking a bit lost.
“So… what now? We heading to the garage for a car?” Damian looked at the long road ahead, then at Ludwig, who was already starting to yawn.
“Or are you finally letting Ludwig use his powers?”
Bruce pressed his lips together and forced out a firm “No” between his teeth. He was still adamant that Ludwig shouldn’t use his powers—unless absolutely necessary.
“Young Master, I think you might need this.”
Alfred had thoughtfully driven the car over and handed Bruce the keys.
“Alfred, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Bruce gave the old butler a grateful hug, while behind him, Damian was busy stuffing the sleepy Ludwig into the backseat.
“It’s my duty, sir. But… do you have somewhere to stay? Young Master Ludwig looks like he can barely keep his eyes open.” The kind-hearted butler smiled warmly, subtly probing about Bruce’s next stop.
“Yeah, Ludwig’s not usually like this. Oh—we’ve got an apartment downtown. Security’s great, so no worries.” Bruce gave an awkward smile, then hugged Alfred again, sincerely inviting him to visit their new home once they were settled.
“Of course. Madam and I have both been looking forward to that,” Alfred replied as he watched Bruce leave. He wished Bruce could stay—but not today. Not right after such a heated argument.
By the time Bruce got into the driver’s seat, Damian had already fastened Ludwig’s seatbelt and wrapped him tightly in a blanket embroidered with all three of their names.
“Well, kids… it’s been one hell of a day, hasn’t it? Now—let’s go home.”